Tippler

Tippler is a noun for a person who consumes alcoholic beverages habitually, or who drinks heavily. The term often carries a negative or humorous connotation, and is more likely to describe a regular drinker than someone who drinks occasionally. The related verb tipple means to drink alcohol, especially in a habitual or excessive manner.

Etymology and varieties: The word tippler derives from tipple, the noun for an alcoholic drink, and the verb to tipple. The exact origin of tipple is uncertain; it appears in English in the early modern period. Tippler as a standalone designation of someone who drinks appears in English literature and social commentary dating from the 17th to 19th centuries, and remains in use mainly in older or humorous contexts today.

Usage and context: In contemporary usage, tippler is primarily used in descriptive or jocular contexts; it can be used neutrally to describe a habit, or pejoratively. Related terms include drinker, boozer, lush, and alcoholic; teetotaler is the opposite in many contexts. Cultural attitudes toward tipplers have changed over time, notably during temperance movements and Prohibition eras, when term usage often carried moral judgments.